Friday, May 15, 2020

Army General to Co-Lead 'Operation Warp Speed' for COVID-19 Vaccine


May 15, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

President Donald J. Trump today announced that Army Gen. Gustave F. Perna, the commander of Army Materiel Command, will co-lead an effort, dubbed Operation Warp Speed, to find a vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021.

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said the Defense Department is very excited and committed to partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services, across the government, and in the private sector to accomplish the mission. "Winning matters, and we will deliver by the end of this year a vaccine at scale to treat the American people and our partners abroad," he said.

The goal is to produce about 300 million vaccines by January, said Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, at a Pentagon press briefing today.

Hoffman mentioned that it's a goal involving a whole-of-government approach, not just the DOD.
Regarding DOD and the Pentagon, Hoffman said neither has been shut down and daily operations continue, albeit with mitigation steps that include social distancing, face masks, quarantine when necessary and telework if the situation allows.

As for increasing the number of personnel at the Pentagon, Hoffman said it will be conditions-based and informed by medical experts. The Pentagon, he said, is in consultation with the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland. Policy and decisions are currently under review and are expected to be released in a matter of weeks.

Regarding the hospital ships USNS Comfort and Mercy, Hoffman said they have completed their work in New York City and Los Angeles and are standing by if their services are needed elsewhere.

Hoffman noted that tomorrow is Armed Forces Day. He mentioned the death yesterday of Army Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II, a Medal of Honor recipient.

Shurer served in Afghanistan. On April 6, 2008, he was cited for valorous actions for providing medical assistance to his teammates while facing enemy fire for over six hours.

Military Flyovers Thank Americans for Service to Country


May 15, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the Defense Department has been providing medical and logistical assistance to frontline health care workers throughout the United States.

DOD has also demonstrated gratitude to health care workers by conducting flyovers in many cities and states throughout the U.S. — including Detroit, New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Washington state — with more flyovers planned for Los Angeles today and other areas.

A flyover includes jets, transports and helicopters flying over an area to honor people or to commemorate important events such as the anniversaries of the World War II Allies' victories over Nazi Germany and Japan.

On May 8, a mix of Air Force aircraft and vintage World War II and post-WWII planes flew over Seattle, Tacoma and other areas of northwest Washington state to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and to honor health care workers.

Four of the services have dedicated demonstration teams that perform flyovers. In 1946, the Navy and Marine Corps formed the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron known as the Blue Angels. The Air Force followed with its Air Demonstration Squadron — the Thunderbirds — in 1953. Later, the Army formed its Golden Knights Army Parachute Team in 1959.

In addition to these demonstration teams, the National Guard, Coast Guard and the other services have also conducted flyovers to honor health care workers and commemorate special occasions.

Flyovers are part of America's heritage. One of the first flyovers was during Game 1 of baseball’s first World Series played between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs at Comiskey Park in Chicago on Sept. 5, 1918. Army biplanes buzzed the field to the delight of spectators.

One of the largest flyovers was conducted Sept. 2, 1945, during the World War II surrender ceremony of Japan aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, when numerous squadrons of carrier-based fighter aircraft flew overhead.

Demonstration teams also perform flyovers at major sporting events, including football, baseball and NASCAR.

Timing is everything, though. If a flyover is planned at the end of the national anthem, for example, the pilots need to know when the anthem will be played or sung so they can program their position, navigation and timing instruments to fly over the area at the precise moment. Pilots also communicate with a controller on the ground in case the anthem is delayed or happens sooner than planned.

Allies and partners around the world also perform flyovers. The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Indian Air Force call their flyovers flypasts.

The UK's Royal Air Force performed one of the first flypasts in 1913 when they honored King George V.

NATO Nations Face Threats Together, Including Pandemic


May 15, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

While these are challenging times, NATO nations do not face these problems alone, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee said today.

Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach held a virtual briefing for the news media on the results of the NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting. The meeting – also virtual – brought together the 30 military leaders of the alliance. They discussed the response to coronavirus and other threats to the NATO nations.

The recommendations that stem from the meeting will be used to inform next month's defense ministerial, he said. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, participated in the NATO meeting from his Pentagon office.

''NATO allies and partners are standing together and acting together in solidarity,'' Peach said. ''Together, we endure, persevere and overcome.''

NATO must be on guard to ensure that nations or groups do not try to exploit the pandemic for their own gains, he said.

''We have seen an increase in disinformation aimed at sowing division in the alliance and in Europe as well as undermining our democracies,'' the air chief marshal said. ''We have seen a continued pace of Russian military activity. Over the last couple of weeks, the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission has been deployed numerous times to intercept Russian aircraft.''

The attacks in Kabul brought Afghanistan into focus, and the chiefs discussed the security situation in that troubled country. Peach said there has been some progress in inter-Afghan negotiations.

''In Iraq, the situation remains unstable,'' he said. ''The fight against [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] is not over. Coalition forces are working hard to safeguard the progress and gains achieved.''

NATO allies and partners are standing together and acting together in solidarity.''
Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, chairman, NATO Military Committee

NATO forces remain in Iraq to ensure peace and stability. ''Our forces remain ready, and our work continues,'' Peach said.

All the chiefs reiterated their commitment to the alliance. ''They assured that COVID-19 would not affect their contributions to collective defense, including our multinational battlegroups in the east of the alliance, NATO air policing, our maritime deployments and our missions from Afghanistan to Kosovo,'' Peach said.

NATO personnel will adapt special measures to protect themselves from infection, but the missions are too important to let slide, he said. ''Our ability to deter and, if necessary, defend persists,'' he said.

The peacekeeping mission in Kosovo continues with 19 NATO allies and eight partner nations contributing roughly 3,500 troops. ''KFOR provides a safe and secure environment for all people and communities and is an important contributor to the stability of the Western Balkans,'' Peach said.

The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan continues, and NATO personnel continue to train, assist and advise Afghan partners. ''We will continue to adapt our presence in Afghanistan through a conditions-based process, in close coordination with all allies and, importantly, our partners,'' Peach said.

Following clear political direction from NATO ministers in April, the chiefs of defense discussed new ways to contribute more to the security in the Middle East and North Africa Region to complement existing efforts, the chairman said.

The chiefs also worked to make operational NATO's military strategy, which was approved last year. ''This work is being refined and made operational through our work on the Concept for Deterrence and Defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area, supplemented and complemented by the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, which looks forward 20 years and sets a vision to support allies' efforts to develop military forces,'' Peach said.

The results will also go before the Defense Ministerial next month. ''These concepts will improve the future alignment of existing mechanisms, processes and activities as well as the procurements requirements resulting from our continuous process of adaptation,'' he said. ''It brings coherence to all our military activities.''

The chiefs, along with Italian army Gen. Claudio Graziano, chairman of the European Union Military Committee, also discussed NATO's response to COVID-19.

NATO has launched more than 150 missions to support and transport medical personnel, supplies and treatment capabilities. The alliance has facilitated the construction of more than 50 field hospitals and alternate care facilities. There have been numerous international aero-medical evacuations with critical care teams; and more than 3,500 allied citizens from around the world have been repatriated, Peach said.

''We concluded the meeting after an in-depth discussion about the effects of this pandemic and a discussion on resilience and the importance to capture lessons that can be implemented to better prepare for any future health crisis,'' he said.